The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-08-04
CURIOUS AND COSTLY CUSTOM.
People Showered with Gold Dust-How
Mexican nIaidens Make q ''Mash."

People Showered with Gold Dust-How
Mexican Maidens Make a '.Mash."
Many interesting stories could be told Of
the cascarone balls of the past, but only
one win be mentioned as an instance of
the popularity of this peculiar feature of
the balls. On one occasion, ut a ball given
at the residence of Don Jose Abrego, Pete
Serrano, then q muchacho, was ON hand
selling cascarones. A gentleman ap-
preached and asked what he would take
for his cascarones.
"Cne dollar q Dozen" was the answer.
elbow many have your" was the next
inquiry.
"Forty dozen" p.
GAN right, I'll take them"
Taking the basket he started down the
hall, but had not taken dozen steps when
he was surrounded by number of young
ladies, and in q moment all hands We're
diving into the basket, coming out with
double handfuls and crashing them on his
head, wsile he manfully strove torcturn
a few of the compliments he received. In
five minutes not one of the forty dozen
cascaroneS remained whole. .-
The modus operandi of cascarone max
ing is very simple, and about as follow:
Into an empty eggshell-whole, except Tor
to remove the original contents-is placed
about teaspoonful of finely chopped pa
per of various bright colors and gold tin
sci; then the opening is neatly closed by
FASTING piece Of colored paper over it,
and then the cascarone is all ready for use.
In Mexico, in tho good old times, gold
dust mixed with diamond dust was often
used to fill the egg shells at the swell fan
dangoes given by the old grandees. And
it is doHe occasionally nowadays by some
of the wealthy old dons who wish TO do
Inc II, .s:-c IN in style
Another way OF fiinng s.,c shells was TO
use finely perfumed powder, and some
times rare and costly perfumes were used.
Very often the shells were beautifully
decorated and sometimes hand painted.
In Monterey, before the decline of the Gus
tom, the shells We're often colored in fan
ciful designs, like Easter eggs, and at 9TH
er times tastefully decorated with differ
ent colors Of paper. Chopped paper and
tinsel were usually put in the shells, but
on more than one occasion gold dollar
pieces were used-one in each she'll
Spiced candy was often used, and some
times powder and perfumery. House
wives religiously save the shells of all the
eggs they use and put them away until
cascaPone season comes around,
In cascarone breaking it is not neoes-
sary that one should be acquainted-in
fact, it is sort of ''mashing" proceeding
all through. The act of breaking cas-
carone on another's head is to be consid-
cred compliment by the recipient, who
is in honor bound to return it at the first
opportunity. The proper way to break
them is to crush the shell in tho hand
over the PERSONS head, allowing its con-
tents to fall on the head. In the excite
ment, however, the shell is moro fre-
quently broken on the head, regardless Of
locality or force used, and is oftentimes
suggestive of anything but amiable feel.
ing on the part of the bestower. When
the ice is once broken by some adventur-
GUS maiden Or plucky man the contagion
soon spreads, and in q very short time
everybody is chasing around the room
breaking cascarohes Unfortunately and
receiving them from all sides. These
mock battles usually occur between
dances. (Cal.) Argus.